The Spirit Among Phantoms
by Otaku553
Summary: Arisato Minato died. This was a fact. But when the Velvet Room was taken over, Elizabeth had no choice but to cooperate with Igor once more to bring him back, to aid the newest Wild Card. The only trip-up: his body is buried, decomposing, and he is merely a ghost. When Akira heard the dismembered voice for the first time, on the train to Tokyo, he sighed. Great, he was delusional.
1. Chapter 1

Being chained up to a door, Minato decided, was the most boring duty anyone could have in the world.

The problem lied in that it was an eternity of doing nothing, with no entertainment besides fighting Erebus. That wasn't really something he liked to do, but he had all the time in the world… universe? Sea of Souls? His biggest woe though, stemmed from the question: what better pastime for an eternity could there be besides sleeping or listening to music? And both those things were… what he couldn't do.

Sigh.

At least Elizabeth came now and then to speak with him. Not that he could reply or anything; he was a statue. It was nice to hear her voice though, besides when she would start singing about Igor's nose. Yes, Igor's nose was long, but Minato's ears really didn't need the abuse that was her horrendous singing.

In all seriousness, he was more than glad whenever Elizabeth came to see him. The swirling galaxies of the Sea of Souls could only keep one company for so long. It was only because he was used to not speaking to anyone and living in a state of near-death for all of his life that he was able to stay sane as the seal.

With the passing time, he could feel himself fading. It wasn't that he was getting weaker, or his bonds were disappearing. His friends would always stay in his heart, and he was sure he would always stay in theirs. It was just that life… or death? Limbo? As a statue wasn't so substantial. As the seconds and days passed, he found himself less and less Minato and more the Universe, the Messiah, the sole reason the world wasn't ending.

He didn't even know how long had passed since he had become a statue. There was no indicator of time in the Sea of Souls, a second could be a minute, a day could be an hour. Heck, it felt like years had passed, but at the same time it still felt like only days had gone by.

Then, he saw his friends. They were there, staring up at him with a wide range of emotions in their eyes. He could make out horror, sadness, surprise. There was also another android there. Aegis' sister? Then finally, grim acceptance as they all fought against Erebus, triumphant and brave.

Of course, Erebus would return, but he was renewed. For their sake, he would continue. He would remain chained for them to be free, he would hold back Death for them to live. They all had purposes in the world, and though not quite as… worldly, this was his.

What he thought was years had passed, with a few updates from Elizabeth on the state of the world. Erebus seemed to be gradually weakening, and he was glad beyond words that his sacrifice had not been in vain, that people were changing, that the infinite potential in humanity was finally pulling through.

Which is why his hopes were crushed when Elizabeth next came to visit.

While Elizabeth was technically a resident of the Velvet Room, she had told him of how she'd abandoned it, left it to go on a journey to find a way to restore him.

And now, she had finally found it. It was the perfect opportunity. Erebus was weakening, Nyx had been out cold for years, and the stars all seemed to align. Sadly to say, the circumstances in which she found the way… were not what either of them would've liked, no matter how happy Minato was to be relieved of his duties.

"Minato," she said. "I know this is unfair of us to ask of you once more… but the world is in danger again." Her yellow eyes hid an underlying storm of turmoil, her sadness at having to subject Minato to another tragic fate, her happiness at finally allowing Minato to return to the world, her worry for the Earth. For all she was angry at the humans for subjecting Minato to such a fate, she still believed in their potential, hoped for their survival.

"My master, Igor… he's been imprisoned, and an impostor is taking his place." Minato felt a surge of panic go through him. Igor was powerful, no doubt. Whoever had managed to imprison him of all people was likely not a force easily reckoned with.

Elizabeth continued. "As an attendant of the Velvet Room, even if I've abandoned it, it's my role to help the Wild Card. Especially so after what happened with…" she blinked back tears in her eyes. Minato didn't want to, nor could ask or push more.

"There will be a new Wild Card. A Trickster, no less."

Minato would pretend he understood the significance of a Trickster, though he knew the one bestowed with the powers of the WIld Card would no doubt play a large role.

"He will use the Velvet Room, which is currently led by the filthy impostor who dares take my master's form." Elizabeth clenched her fist, her eyes burning. Seems like she quite... disliked the impostor. "Igor didn't want him to blindly follow the enemy's words, so in exchange for telling me how to bring you down from the seal, he wanted you to help the new Wild Card."

There. Those were the terms of his return to the world. He knew it wouldn't be free, but even he could at least hope.

Without so much as a word, Elizabeth knew what he would say. His hard-headed stubbornness was what led him to become the Great Seal protecting humanity in the first place, and he, for sure, wouldn't let whatever plans the imposter had make his sacrifice go to waste, even if he had to be the tribute for humanity's lives again.

She brought him out of the seal, a fisted hand grabbing and pulling nothing towards her. It was slow, like there was some resistance, but smooth and somehow elegant. Minato felt himself being pulled, but staying still. It was surreal, like having two bodies and two difference senses of touch. Then, suddenly, one set of senses faded and he was no longer chained. His arms were freed of their aching, freed of the thorns that lacerated them.

He could move. His eyes could move. Granted, as he held up his hands in front of him to examine himself, he found that movement felt like moving through something less viscous than water. It was the slightest bit sluggish and slow, but he felt like he was floating. It was a surreal sensation, to feel like he was in water but at the same time in air, inhaling, breathing.

On his arms, he found the familiar sleeves of the Gekkoukan uniform, with the side zippers unzipped. He could feel the comforting familiarity of the cotton shirt he wore against his skin, the feeling of fabric tightened loosely around his neck by the blue ribbon substitute for a tie. Among his clothes was the familiar weight of the gun holster on his belt, with the trusty evoker tucked inside.

And best of all, as he felt around his shoulders, he could feel the cool metal of his round earphones hanging around his shoulders.

Slowly, he turned to Elizabeth and her bobbed platinum-silver blonde hair. Her yellow eyes were shining with warmth, with a mere tinge of the storm of emotions that the situation called for, but she wouldn't let her worry and anger stop her from enjoying the return of her guest. Watching his joy and incredulity had made her the most content she'd been since discovering those octopus balls.

Minato's wide eyes and half-open mouth slowly morphed into a smile, the likes of which even SEES had never seen on him. His eyes had unshed tears on them, his lip slightly quivering.

Elizabeth grinned. "Welcome back, Minato."

"... I'm back," he whispered out, tears finally overflowing as he pulled Elizabeth into a tight hug.

Oh, how he missed the sensation of moving, of touching his friends. That sounded weird. While he wasn't normally a huggie - or particularly touchy person, not being able to feel any warmth for… How long had Elizabeth said it'd been? 7 years? He was starving for the warmth of another human, even if Elizabeth wasn't exactly a mortal.

"Thank you so much, Elizabeth…"

"You're welcome, Minato. Are you ready to go?"

Minato looked around for a moment. This forsaken sea of stars held nothing for him; no affection, no warmth, no memories. He looked back and nodded. "But first…"

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. Minato deserved a request or two -heck, probably more, after being a chained statue for 7 years. She'd do her best to accomplish whatever he asked.

"Can you take me to my friends before I go to the new Wild Card?"

Elizabeth nodded. That wouldn't be too hard. With a nod and another smile, she walked away from the seal, Minato floating behind her.

Minato noticed this. "Hey, Elizabeth. How come you're walking and I'm floating?"

When Elizabeth didn't answer, Minato had an intuition of what it was, and his intuitions were usually correct. "Elizabeth. I've been here before, alive. There was a floor. Am I…"

"Yes, Minato." She turned around with a solemn expression. "Since you are dead, you're more like a spirit now."

Minato actually took it better than he expected of himself. Maybe it hadn't sunk in yet, or he was just desensitized to death after being a seal to it for seven years. In any case, all he felt was a certain twinge of disappointment that he wouldn't be able to interact with his friends.

After all, Memento Mori. Remember that you are mortal. Remember that you will die.

It was already enough that he was returning to the world. He was dead, and it wasn't his place to cheat death and revive wrongly all of a sudden. Besides, Ryoji would never stop nagging him if Minato encroached upon his domain.

Elizabeth was blinking, in half-surprise. She would've expected Minato to be sadder, given that he could finally return to the world but couldn't really interact with his friends. Given, he was always somewhat apathetic, so she didn't know if she should be surprised or not.

Minato seemed to be in deep contemplation.

"So, Minato," Elizabeth looked into his eyes. "Even knowing you are dead and your friends cannot see you. Do you still wish to see them?"

Without hesitating, he nodded. He'd have peace of mind as long as they were leading fulfilling lives. The more pressing matter on his mind right now was…

"How will I help the Wild Card if I'm a ghost?"

Elizabeth sighed. Minato was so duty-oriented as usual. "I'll explain later. You want to see your friends?"

Minato nodded. Elizabeth was being less straightforward than usual, and it was a bit concerning. Nonetheless, he'd wait. She did allow him to see his friends one last time after all…

* * *

After they left the Sea of Souls, Minato happily took in the fresh air of Earth. Though he wasn't as accustomed to the large city and all the skyscrapers and people, he hadn't had human contact for 7 years. It was… nice? He didn't even know how to describe it anymore.

The sudden change gave him some whiplash though, and as glad as he was, even knowing he couldn't really feel pain anymore (he was even more a ghost on Earth than he was in the Sea of Souls), he instinctively shut his eyes tight at seeing the bright blue sky and sun.

The air didn't feel as viscous to move in here, and he felt incredibly light. It was easy to float to his will. Minato liked it. As opposed to being stone, it felt like the weight of his duties and his fate were no longer hanging off his back.

The first person he saw was Mitsuru.

At the back of her tactical room, he stood… floated? While watching her, confidently strutting around and monitoring the cameras. Ever the courageous and firm leader, she gave orders into microphones. She didn't look bad with that white fur coat either.

-[]-[]-

Mitsuru was doing her best as the leader of the Kirijo group and the Shadow Operatives. To preserve his memory, his purpose, and protect them all. He had seen the hope in humanity, and he had sacrificed himself so altruistically, let himself be bound as the world's Messiah.

Why was she getting so emotional now? She sat down on one of the plush sofas in her room, and massaged her temples. Maybe the lack of sleep was getting to her.

Then, there was, for some reason, a kind of comfort coming from the left, where the entrance was. Yet, there was no telltale sound of pistons that came with the opening door. She looked. Nobody was there. Yet, if she closed her eyes, it felt like she could make out a white and blue butterfly in her vision.

The butterfly seemed to flutter its wings happily, before fluttering off with another bright, glowing blue one, leaving her with a renewed sense of warmth and happiness.

It almost felt like…

"Minato…?"

No, it couldn't be.

But regardless of what it was, she would continue to do her best.

With all the regality and grace of a queen but with the determination of a warrior, she stood and walked out the door to her new team.

* * *

Then, it was Fuuka, working in the same building as Mitsuru. Her awkward high schooler days had passed, and she had developed into a sophisticated woman. Her hair had grown out into a nice teal braid over her shoulder, and she had a determined look on her face as she typed away on her keyboard, which was attached to an incredibly sleek computer. Wow, technology had really changed a lot.

-[]-[]-

Fuuka sighed. Between being a part-time member of the Shadow Ops (which was more than a reserve member like Yukari or Junpei) and trying to get her programming degree on the side, she was busy as hell. Luckily, the Shadow Ops weren't getting as much action recently after their run-in with the Investigation Team, so she had an opportunity to rest a bit at last.

Sigh… not only did she have all this though, since opening up a bit, she had finally found friends outside the SEES and SO circle, and now had more social engagements than she could count! Did Minato feel like this back in the day?

Wait, Minato?

Why was she suddenly thinking of him?

She had the sudden urge to cry but smile at the same time.

She yawned. Maybe she'd get some sleep.

* * *

Then, Yukari. He didn't even need to go directly to her; he had seen her on the display boards all over the large building fronts. Feather Pink, huh? Good for her. She deserved it.

-[]-[]-

Yukari just finished up on a scene.

She placed down her bow and arrows and wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead. Being her own stunts person was tiring. But then again, this would never compare to running through the bloodstained halls of Tartarus, with the sounds of rattling chains drawing nearer and nearer…

She involuntarily shivered at the thought.

"Takeba-san, are you alright?" asked the supervisor nearby.

She smiled as brightly as she could, though it was empty. "Yes, thank you!"

And then she collected herself.

Tartarus no longer existed. The Dark Hour no longer existed. Nyx and Erebus would never come again.

And besides, when she did run through Tartarus, the comforting presence of the blue-haired emo teenager that led them all had allowed her some peace of mind, some belief that despite all odds, all of them would make it out alive.

And yet he hadn't, and she felt the sudden onslaught of tears, which she held back with the skill she had learned for doing so as a rising actress. But at the same time, a warmth bloomed in her, a certain assurance, which completely rid her of her phantom fears and traumatised thoughts.

Minato…

Thank you, she thought, as she smiled to the sky.

Her manager couldn't fathom why she looked so wistful staring into the blue expanse, but he let her be.

* * *

Junpei… Even to that day, he looked like an absolute dork. Seemed like his goatee had grown much longer, and so had his hair. His buzz cut was gone, but the cap was ever-familiar. He'd really become such a respectable man… Far from his old petty jealousy.

Then again… He saw a man get remotely close to Chidori and Junpei clenched his hands into fists. Maybe not.

-[]-[]-

Junpei cranked back his bat, and waited. For the moment, when the ball would fly towards him, and he would snap his arms forward, and hear the crack of the ball hitting the wood, and the telltale cheers of a crowd for a home run…

And Oh shit, it came! And he was too late to bat at it properly. The ball soared off to another part of the field, and he was able to make it to second base. Whew, he sighed in relief. Close save.

While he would've loved to be the hero of the people, winning the game, he was a rookie and it was a miracle he made it off the bench in the first place. He grinned with his million-watt smile towards his white lace-adorned, red-haired beauty of a wife, who was sketching in her journal while attentively watching.

She saw it, smiled back, and a corner of Junpei's heart melted.

Oh boy, he loved her. And it was thanks to Minato that they were together, that she was alive.

Man, Minato. He was always the better hero, always the better person, carrying out his duty and covering for him even when he was a bratty, jealous high schooler.

He'd even sacrificed himself for the sake of the world. He was the true hero, unlike him. He was the true selfless one, unlike him. And he no longer felt anything against him for it. He just… missed his best friend.

And Minato, Minato who led them so fearlessly, so admirably, he would make him proud, even if Minato was a… door and couldn't return to the world. He still got the feeling he was watching, beyond all reason.

Meh, he wasn't really one for reason anyways.

"Watch me win this… Minato!" He plastered on a smirky grin. The other team was going down.

* * *

Akihiko was ever the protein lover, of course. He hadn't changed much; his toned body was just as it had been seven years ago, and the only discernible difference Minato could find was that maybe his eyes were narrower and his face was more carved? It was an odd feeling seeing him in a police uniform though.

-[]-[]-

He'd finally done it. Akihiko had been promoted from the police force to become a detective. Now, he could do even more to help the people.

And he would. For his friend's sacrifice, he would watch the people, and protect them. It was his duty as a former member of SEES, and even more so a current reserve member of the SO.

Mitsuru had been so supportive of him becoming a police officer, though whether it was because of his intentions or his convenient position as an in to the rest of the police force (because the Kirijo group's influence could only go so far), he didn't know.

He was pretty glad regardless.

* * *

And Ken and Koromaru, oh god, by contrast Ken had changed. He was no longer a child, no longer the elementary schooler that they had reluctantly let along with them on missions to Tartarus. And now, without the weight of revenge for his mother and responsibility for the world on his back, he had grown up tall and fit. It seemed like he was continuing training his spear arts, and was even student council president. Good for him. He deserved it.

Koromaru was getting up there in age, but he was still as peppy of a dog as he was before. His loyalty to Ken was admirable, and he was smart. Koromaru helped Ken out.

-[]-[]-

Koromaru's intense red eyes were wandering around the street as Ken jogged with him. Then, they landed on the glowing faint figure of a boy in a uniform and long blue bangs covering half a face. He barked.

"Koromaru? What's wrong?" Ken asked his troubled Shiba Inu friend. Without so much as a warning, Koromaru ran, barking, to the opposite side of the street.

"Oi, that's dangerous! Koromaru!"

And he stopped in front of Minato. Could he see him?

Minato crouched down and ruffled the hair of the shiba inu the best he could while having his hand pass through him. His hand, not feeling Koromaru, felt cold and tingly. Minato decided it was uncomfortable.

Ah… He couldn't pet Koromaru. He couldn't touch him, he couldn't hug him, he couldn't snuggle into the dog's lush white fur…

As if noticing his woe, Koromaru let out a heart-wrenching howl, startling Ken, who was watching the behavior of his dog with confusion. There seemed to be nothing there, but Ken's battle trained senses could at least make out a presence.

It was warm, comforting. He was confused. There was nobody there, yet he felt inexplicable tears welling up in his eyes. It felt like years ago, the calm he felt despite being in a Shadow-infested labyrinth, always due to the blue-haired elder running beside him, leading them to victory with his composed and borderline apathetic voice.

Was it… Minato? Beyond all reason, Ken wanted to believe it.

Then, as if it were a fleeting butterfly, when he reached it, the presence disappeared.

Ken was left feeling as if something important had left him, but at the same time, had left him feeling renewed.

"C'mon." He looked to Koromaru with a smile. "Let's go."

* * *

As night fell, and eventually the time reached midnight, Minato was content, having seen all his friends. With the lack of the familiar but foreboding feeling that came with the yellow moon and green sky, he felt assured that his sacrifice had been worth it. They were all fulfilling their lives so happily… Even if he were to return living, he didn't know where he'd go. All of them had changed, developed, come so far. He no longer had a place among them.

And that saddened him.

It was them who unfurled him from the isolation he put himself into, who gave him a family. He was eternally grateful to them, to each and every one of them. He wanted to tell them how much so, he wanted to hug them one last time before he went on the new journey, he wanted them to stop being sad about his sacrifice - because it was absolutely worth it and he had chosen to do so - but…

He couldn't. He couldn't do any of those. All he could do was stand by, watching them go on with their lives, providing them the temporary comfort reminiscent of his protection over them in Tartarus, and even then, they looked so sad, so woeful over his loss, contradicting the happiness he was trying to bring them.

He was a ghost.

He was only a specter, not meant to interfere, meant to return to his final fate again after his new role was complete.

And it broke him inside.

He was so close, yet so far.

So… there, but not.

And yet he had accepted his fate of his own free will. Even if his contract was gone, the underlying principle was still true. He made his choice to leave them to protect them, and though he would do it again… He didn't want to.

He found himself with a tear running down his face.

And then, like an overflowing pot, they came. He quietly sniffled. It wasn't in his place to defy his fate, defy his role as a Messiah. And because of that, even in front of Elizabeth only, he wouldn't sob. He wouldn't show his agony.

Elizabeth couldn't turn back and look.

She let him do this. She brought this upon him.

It was required for the sake of the world… but when was the last time Minato had been allowed anything for himself? As a teenager, he had been forced to give up the family he finally found for the sake of their survival and the world's. As a door, he had been chained, lacerated by the thorns that secured him. And now, as a specter, he was the closest he had been for years to his family… and he couldn't interact, hug, talk with them.

And yet, he still had a duty.

With as blank face as she could manage, though her small frown belied her guilt, she wiped his eyes dry. "Minato… I'm sorry. I wish I could do more."

"Could you?" he looked at her, silver eyes reddened by his tears, glowing ever so slightly in the darkness.

She looked down, not wanting to see his disappointment. Her yellow eyes were shaded. "... I'm afraid not. They buried your body, and it's decomposed a bit in 7 years. I can't join your spirit or soul with it anymore."

As she expected, he looked down in disappointment. But he quickly wiped away the remaining stray tears with his uniform's sleeves, and looked back at her, empty. It wasn't a a sudden change; Elizabeth just hadn't noticed it until now. The light was dying in his eyes slowly with each friend he saw. And yet, he still convinced himself to be content. He still convinced himself that his sacrifice was fair, necessary.

She could only hope that being with the new Wild Card would help her Messiah, that nurturing new bonds would allow the light in the Messiah's soul to return.

The sun rose on a new day, marking the dawn of a new journey for the one who prevented the final hour.

* * *

**My first attempt at a Persona fic (or at least the first one I'm actually publishing). I'm going to get to Akira and the Phantom Thieves soon, so be patient? I also really hope you review! I'm always open to feedback. (^^)**

**Also, this is meant to be a gen fic, so no ships or anything because I'm a wimp and can't write romance. :P**


	2. Chapter 2

Elizabeth brought him to the train that was zipping past the iconic skyscrapers of Tokyo, the both of them silent most of the way, besides Elizabeth pointing out some more interesting developments in the past few years… or hundreds of years.

She was certainly fascinated with those glass buildings that "scraped" the sky, as the mortals called them.

Minato nodded along, a small smile at Elizabeth's antics on his face. Even in the most despairing of times, Elizabeth's cheer always seemed contagious. Not that he was despairing. He had accepted it. Definitely.

As Elizabeth neared the train on the tracks though, Minato realized that her smile was gradually tilting downwards, and her words were becoming fewer.

Minato's eyes widened in realization as he recalled her words the other day.

_'Even if I've abandoned it, it's my role to help the Wild Card. Especially so after what happened with…'_

What had happened? Minato knew Elizabeth's cheer wasn't one that was so easily crushed.

As Elizabeth turned back to see Minato looking at her with those contemplative eyes of his as if he was examining her, she knew he had noticed. He was too perceptive not to; he was really an impressive human. Of course, she took pride in this. She was his attendant.

But her pride couldn't override the slight offense she felt that her guest was actually examining _her._

She sighed. It was her fault for not telling him to begin with, she supposed.

The two paused midair, Minato drifting a bit before finally coming to a halt. He was still getting used to the fluid motion that came with being a ghost, after all.

"So… Minato. I should tell you the whole of the situation."

"Don't push yourself to if you don't want to."

Elizabeth shook her head. He needed to know this. "You know my siblings Theo and Margaret, yes?"

Minato nodded. He had regained his memories of what happened with the Investigation Team sometime while he was… busy being a door, he supposed. Elizabeth probably played some part in this if she knew that he knew.

"I actually have a 3rd sibling. A sister."

Minato's eyebrows raised in surprise. Where did the Velvet Room attendants come from anyways? Having a new one was interesting, to say the least. But then as he thought it through, the irrational anger replacing her usual calm when she spoke of the imposter, her worry that was clear in her yellow eyes despite her cheery demeanor.

Something had happened to this sister.

"Her name was Lavenza."

The use of the past tense did not escape Minato.

"But when the imposter, Yaldabaoth came…" She took a deep, quavering breath as if steeling herself. "When Yaldabaoth came… he pulled my sister apart. Turned her into two incomplete parts of each other, Caroline and Justine."

If Minato could gasp in horror or was any more expressive, he certainly would have. It just simply wasn't in his nature though, so he settled for furrowing his eyebrows in concern.

Elizabeth continued. "It happened when I wasn't in the room. As you know, I abandoned it to search for the way for you to return. But if I _had _been there… if I had actually _done _something… maybe, maybe she would…"

Minato gently hugged her and offered his shoulder for her tears, which were threatening to spill over any moment.

"She… she was training to use the compendium to help the next guest. You know what her favorite Persona was? Jack Frost." With a teary, wistful smile, she laughed, with more sorrow than a laugh had any business sounding like. "All her failed Persona fusions would turn into Jack Frosts."

Minato shared a small smile with his attendant. Lavenza sounded so innocently cute. "Don't blame yourself," he tried to soothe her.

"But if I had been -"

"No. Those are 'if' situations. We'll never know what would've happened." he sighed. "Regardless, it would be more efficient to focus your mentality towards how we can save her… them?"

Elizabeth lifted her head out of his shoulder. "You're wiser than you look."

He shrugged. "You were my attendant. It's only right that I help you now." A pause, trying to decide what to say before he finally said, "While I'm helping the Wild Card, I'll try my best to save her."

Elizabeth smiled slightly. "Thank you, Minato…"

He nodded. "Let's go."

* * *

As they got through the train's walls, Minato's body tingled with the feeling that came with passing through something while incorporeal. The train car was crowded, but quiet in the lull of the morning. A few gossiping words from high schoolers, businessmen on their phones, and snoring people catching up on their sleep… Minato was invisible to all.

Elizabeth smiled at him as she led him to the Wild Card, an awkward boy with tousled black hair, big glasses, and an unassumingly innocent expression.

Yet, as Minato observed him, he could feel the intense gaze hidden beneath those spectacles.

This boy wasn't as unassuming as he looked.

He seemed to be paying most attention to the gossiping girls, who had changed their topic to the recent mental shutdowns plaguing the city.

Filing the information away for later, Minato frowned. It seemed far too similar to Apathy Syndrome… but with even worse consequences. The Apathy Syndrome hadn't caused so many deaths as it had comas, and its victims were mostly restored after Nyx's defeat.

Oh yeah. Elizabeth was speaking. If her facial expression was anything to go by though, it wasn't anything important. He let her blabber on about takoyaki as he continued browsing the surroundings.

As the train ground to a halt while Minato floated, he again felt an odd contradiction with what he once knew, as there was no unpleasant feeling of lurching forward at a sudden halt. Defying the laws of gravity was interesting, Minato mused, as he tried to avoid the masses stepping off the train.

To his dismay, he was unable to avoid most of them, and though he was expecting it, still felt discomfort at the tingling sensation that ran through his veins.

Just when he thought that everyone had finished, he gasped in surprise and snapped his eyes shut, holding up his arms in a block when a straggler ran straight into – no, now it was through – him, leaving his body feeling not only tingly, but freezing. The man quickly ran off the metro as Minato slowly put down his guard, and frowned in slight embarrassment.

Of course he'd pass through him. Minato was incorporeal.

In a futile attempt to warm himself, he rubbed his arms, trying to make some friction before he realized that the rules of physics no longer applied to him.

Sheesh… This ghost situation might be worse than he reckoned.

As Elizabeth beckoned him to go to the Wild Card, she started explaining. "I'll link your spirit to him, so you'll be able to speak to him. He won't be able to see you until you form an actual link with him though."

Minato nodded. It made sense; if a link was what allowed people to see, hear, or feel him, then of course SEES got emotional when he was around; he'd had the strongest link with them after all.

The same would probably apply for the link that Elizabeth was making, an artificial link, per se, though with limits on functionality.

Elizabeth held up a glowing hand, and suddenly, Minato felt a bit faint, before he felt mild apprehension and nervousness… but not his own.

He turned to shoot a glare at her. Some warning would've been nice.

She shot back a Velvet Room™ grin, the cryptic and yet oddly playful kind.

He sighed.

"I'll be going now. Good luck, Minato," Elizabeth waved, as she faded into the form of a glowing blue butterfly and fluttered off.

* * *

_Akira Kurusu POV_

Akira Kurusu did _not _want to go to Tokyo. Nor did he want to get arrested for _trying to help someone_, but hey, look how that turned out. As he sighed, wallowing in despair, suddenly, he got a headache and held his hand to head.

And then, just as suddenly as it came, it left, leaving him with some semblance of calm bordering on apathy, but also slight annoyance.

Then, there was a sigh.

But it sounded weird.

It reverberated, echoed in his mind, but sounded like it was coming from a distance.

Well that was odd.

Then, a voice, with the same reverberation as the sigh, came a few feet to his right. "_Hey."_

Well, shit. He was going crazy. _Please don't say I have a split personality or something. This year doesn't need to be harder than it already is going to be._

And at those words, he felt the slightest bit of humor… amusement? "_No. Don't think I'd be that bad to have as a split personality though."_

Akira was miffed. Alternate self or not, these were some circumstances he didn't want anybody making fun of. _Please don't make fun of this! I really can't have anything bad happen this year._ He sighed, drawing some odd looks from the people around him. _If possible, even if only for the year, could you try and stay quiet?_

His mental question was met with silence, and he felt satisfaction. If this voice was obedient, then he'd hopefully be able to make it through the year of probation without trouble.

The voice in question might've even been his imagination. Yeah, that's right; he must've eaten… a bad mushroom or something during his time back home, and was just feeling the effects now.

He felt more amusement, which Akira now thought came from the voice (because it sure as heck wasn't coming from him). But now that he was actively feeling or searching for it, he realized. The amusement was like a small fish in a cold sea of apathy, and it made Akira slightly apprehensive of the voice.

_"Arisato Minato."_

A small, startled "Huh?" escaped Akira's lips, as the name came from nowhere. He looked around sheepishly at people's perplexed expressions, as he realized he said that out loud. _Some warning would be nice next time, _he thought, knowing the spirit could hear.

_"Sorry." _Akira could tell the apology was genuine, despite the even, apathetic tone that it was drawled out in. _"My name. It's Arisato Minato."_

Now Akira must've _really _been going crazy, if the voice had a name. He felt the voice – Minato? Arisato? _"Just Minato is fine."_ Well that answered that. He felt Minato getting mildly offended, and he didn't know how to deal with it.

Did the – uh, Minato – know what he was thinking? That was kind of creepy, now that he thought about it. Minato didn't say anything more though, and as his mind went into a silent kind of lull, he mulled over the new voice he can hear.

Minato continued staying silent. Was it just his imagination then?

As if to dispel all thoughts of the odd voice, he shook his head.

* * *

_Minato Arisato POV_

Minato was a bit disappointed. Finally, another person he could possibly converse with, a _Wild Card _no less, and the first thing he was told was that he should keep quiet for a year.

Well. Not like he'd have any trouble doing that, but still.

It seemed that conveniently (or not, he didn't know yet at this point), his emotions were linked with Kurusu's. Judging from Kurusu's responses and thoughts, Kurusu could feel his emotions. It was both ways; he was sure the mild anxiety he felt when they first linked was also from Kurusu.

Were there other things linked?

Physical health? Senses? He might need to explore some of them sometime.

He thanked Elizabeth that Akira didn't seem able to hear his thoughts, or he was sure his calculating personality wouldn't be taken well.

Anyways, the Wild Card, Akira Kurusu, would probably need to talk to him eventually. He just hadn't reached whatever this place's Dark Hour equivalent was yet. He was sure Kurusu would end up having some questions to ask. All in good time.

He let the boy simmer in his frankly pretty hilarious denial as he turned his attention to his mp3 player.

The weight of the metal earphones on his shoulder was comforting, but would never compare to the sense of security he enjoyed from blasting deafeningly loud music into his ears.

Music brought him to a different world. It gave him the emotions and energy he lacked after the death of his parents, with fiery rap and peppy English. It also gave him a safe way to isolate himself from the pitying words of the adults, their scornful frowns at his apathy, the rumbling of the car that would inevitably transfer him to a new home every month or two. After all, if he couldn't hear the real world, it might as well have not existed to him.

It protected him from having to socialize as well, especially when paired with his grown out blue hair and deadpan eyes, and that, for Minato, was a huge benefit. He hadn't known the joys of friendship in his youth, being moody and silent, and he found that he didn't particularly want to.

Even with SEES and the Social Links, socializing was tiring. It was only because of their experiences in Tartarus and their understanding of each other that he was able to hit it off so well with SEES anyways.

Fiddling with the buttons of his mp3 player, his eyes lit with something akin to joy when he saw the small screen glow pale blue. He smiled as he heard the familiar rhythm of _Mass Destruction _blasting out from the earphones hanging around his shoulders.

Bringing them up to his ears, he abruptly stopped when he felt the pang of panic from Akira.

* * *

_Akira Kurusu POV_

There was loud music playing from somewhere. Where was it from? Why was nobody complaining about it?

No, the music was loud and quite obnoxious. It was heavy rap, pop perhaps, and Akira didn't particularly like it much, being more of a jazz person himself.

It was coming from close by, so maybe someone was listening to their music too loudly. But when he looked around, nobody seemed to be wearing headphones or anything of the sort. Huh? Then had they accidentally turned it on? No, if they had, they would've probably turned it off by now, or heard some complaints from the nearby passengers.

Was he just hearing things? Or was playing music super loudly just the norm in Tokyo and people thought it common courtesy not to comment?

Oh god, he seriously needed to learn proper city etiquette sometime.

He furrowed his brows as he looked frantically for the source of the sound, but saw nobody playing music… or reacting to it.

Was it… the voice? Was it possible for a dismembered voice to play music?

As he concentrated on Minato's emotions, the empty sea of apathy, searching for a tinge of anything indicating that he was the one playing music, he felt it. There was just a slight bit of satisfaction and nostalgia there.

Then, there was a blast of realization from Minato, forcing Akira out of his concentration on the other's emotions, and back to his own half-panic.

As he composed himself, he heard Minato say, _"Sorry. I was listening to music. I'll turn it down." _He could feel the apologeticness coming from him and the sincerity in his voice.

Minato seemed like a decent person, if the consideration was anything to go by. Now that he thought about it, he might have been a bit harsh in his first judgement, but who could blame him? It was a dismembered voice, and he was probably still going crazy.

But luckily, if his record was discovered, he'd at least have one potential friend.

Given, it was probably a hallucinatory friend, by the way his voice reverberated, and how only he could hear it. It didn't seem to be coming from him though, which made him curious.

_"Interesting description. Does my voice really sound like that?"_

Akira realized that he could probably ask Minato his questions now. It was a better pastime than eavesdropping on gossiping high school girls, in any case.

_Yes, it does, I guess. Does that mean you're not in my head?_ Akira decided to ask. He wasn't sure if he could get straight answers from a dismembered ghost that might be his hallucination, but oh well.

_"Unsure. I can see you. I guess I'm not a part of you,"_ Minato answered.

It was a short answer, but gave Akira what he needed. _So you have a body?_

_"Sort of. Incorporeal though."_

That would explain how he could hear music, maybe, if Minato had a body and any objects with him. How could an object be incorporeal though? And if he could hear an incorporeal object, could he hear what the incorporeal body was doing? Maybe he should test it.

_Can you try clapping, please?_

From Minato, he felt mild surprise and slight respect, rather than the confusion he expected. Either Minato was reading his thoughts and could follow along, or came to a matching conclusion on how to test what he could hear. Akira's mouth tilted upwards in the tiniest of smiles. Minato was smart.

Basically, his thought process was that if Minato had a body, he'd have to use his hands to clap. If he could hear the clap, then it confirmed that Minato was pretty much like any other person on the train, just incorporeal and invisible.

Suddenly, a clap was heard, startling Akira out of his thoughts. So that answered that. Minato had a body, and only Akira could hear, if the lack of reaction from the people around him was anything to go by.

He was torn between feeling satisfaction at his conclusion being correct, anger at himself for finally going crazy, and incredulity as the situation. He wasn't a ghost talker now, was he? All he wanted was a quick and painless year…

He felt slight amusement again from the other boy, which made him a bit miffed. Again, these were circumstances he really didn't want people making fun of.

At that thought, the amusement seemed to change to pity and then fade away again into the sea of apathy. Akira furrowed his brows. It was hardly fair that Minato could hear his thoughts but he couldn't hear Minato's, if Minato's silence is anything to go by.

From Minato's emotions, Akira already knew that Minato was by no means empty-headed. It felt a bit unsettling that all of his thoughts were no longer private, and it wasn't even a level playing ground.

It seemed Minato felt apologetic again, and Akira sighed. He'd have to tolerate it for the year, he supposed. It wasn't like Minato could harm his already terrible social life anyways, with the world being deaf to him. Anyways, if he wasn't labeled as a criminal, he'd certainly be labeled as a madman.

Minato didn't comment. He was pretty quiet, Akira noted.

Maybe he'd actually have a person to talk to this year, if not a friend. He smiled at the thought. Maybe he'd meet Minato around Tokyo sometime.

He pondered that thought for a bit. Probably, he'd stopped seeing Minato as just a hallucinatory voice that would stay with him, if he thought that Minato could go around Tokyo on his own.

For that matter, how would he find a dismembered voice?

Agh, he'd think about this later. The specifics of the supernatural and spectral were not something he wanted to explore right now, especially after exerting his mindpower on doing just that for the past half hour.

* * *

The train arrived in Tokyo at last, waking Akira from his impromptu nap. After the questioning session had ended, the two had both fallen silent. It felt a bit awkward, but it was leagues better than the hostility Akira felt towards Minato before.

As the crowds mobilized towards the exit, Akira found himself squished between adults and students alike, all of them trying to push their way off the train.

As he finally, found his way off, in his relief, he failed to notice the other boy's discomfort.

After composing himself from the struggle to get off the train, he felt the wave of relief come from a little bit away, and realized that it was Minato.

He also realized that Minato was following him. Though he had assumed it to begin with because of how he thought Minato was a figment of his imagination, after speaking with and acknowledging him, Akira realized how odd it was. Why would the spirit follow him? He thought it would just wander off.

Was it the reason why their emotions were linked? Was there more to it than just him being able to talk to ghosts – no, a ghost for now?

Minato once again felt some respect for Kurusu. The boy was obviously resourceful and quick-witted, good qualities in a leader, and even better in a Wild Card.

Though Minato hadn't been explained all the specifics, he had to take some time figuring out how his link with the boy worked, and it seemed the boy was doing so as well.

Kurusu seemed pretty tired though, and quickly abandoned his thoughts of hauntings. Minato sighed. He was getting a bit tired too.

Wait. He wasn't alive. He shouldn't be getting tired.

Perhaps mental states were somewhat shared along with emotions? Minato pondered on the idea for a bit before finding panic rolling of Kurusu in waves. Ha. He was lost.

Akira tried to pull up a navigation app on his phone, to find his way out of the metro and to the transfer station to the metro. In hindsight, there was no reception in the underground station and he probably should've waited until he was outside, so he stuffed his phone back into his pocket. How would he get out of the station…?

Asking Minato might be worth a try, if Minato was still nearby.

…

Odd. Minato usually would've heard that and answered already. Was Minato gone?

_"Sorry. No. I've never been in Tokyo."_

Akira blinked, slightly startled by the sudden voice. _Why were you so quiet just now?_

_"… I was shaking my head." _Akira could feel a bit of sadness from Minato. _"I guess I can't do that now."_

Then, realization hit Akira.

Minato was once alive. He didn't think about it before, but now that he realized it, that had some sad implications on the person he was talking to. He was somewhat curious what led to it, but…

_"I'll tell you eventually." _Minato said. _"Not today."_

Akira nodded. It wasn't his place to ask, even if Minato could hear his thoughts.

As he pondered this, he felt a bump from behind, and saw the angry face of a businessman on his phone. "Watch where you're going and don't block everyone, kid," the businessman snarled out, before returning to his call.

Things moved so quickly in the city. Akira was once again hit with sadness that he had been sent to a place he was completely alien to, all for one good thing he tried to do.

He felt curiosity from Minato, but didn't address it, letting it die out. Like Minato, he'd explain later.

As he left the station and stepped into the sunlight, Akira couldn't help but shield his eyes.

Tokyo was huge. Imposing, practically.

The skyscrapers towered over the square, which was crowded with people, all going about their days in such a quick pace. It was overwhelming; Akira hadn't seen this amount of people since… No, he just had never seen this many people all gathered into such a space. His parents were never one for vacations, and their town was pretty small.

He didn't like it.

Quickly fishing his phone out of his pocket for the map, he sighed. He'd endure it for a year. It wasn't like he always needed to be in the middle of the big city every moment of the year. Hopefully.

As he perused the map, he found a small app appear on the center of the screen. It was red and black, with an odd occult-ish but somehow modernly designed eye icon. It seemed to be pulsing red on the screen, which was creepy.

But not that creepy.

Minato felt uneasy. The app came with the same uncomfortable sensation as the expanding yellow moon, and the eerily green starless sky. It was unsettling, even if he knew that the Wild Card would have to deal with it more, and so would he.

He was at least used to it, in any case. Kurusu would need to be as well, soon enough.

Akira could feel Minato being unnerved by the app. Reckoning that the other boy just simply wasn't a fan of the aesthetic, he shrugged.

And then the world froze.

Confused and completely sure now that he was no longer sane, he frantically looked around the square to find time completely still, people stopped in the middle of what they were doing.

Then, behind him, there was an odd fizzly sound.

He spun around, only to find the air _glitching_ as if it were encountering static of some sort. He caught a glimpse of blue before the crackling sound of flames could be heard from the center of the square.

Isolated in a small radius was a blue fire, which flared up hungrily towards the skies. Akira couldn't tear his eyes from it.

He also could feel some kind of nostalgia from Minato, and he did _not _want to know why.

Staring at the fire, his eyes widened as he, himself, faded onto the image, and abruptly looked up, with a crazed expression on himself.

His eyes were glowing bright yellow.

As time moved again, Akira found himself trying to comprehend what had just happened. A hallucination? But it felt so real. _Did Minato see it?_

Yes, he had. And the flames were reminiscent of the refreshing warm wind that came with the sounds of shattering blue glass. But Kurusu shouldn't know that. (Oh well. Kurusu probably already knew from their emotional link.)

_"The blue flame? Yes."_

Kurusu seemed expectant. He wanted answers. _Do you know what it was?_

_"I have an idea." _Not one Kurusu would like though, so definitely not one he would say. For now.

Akira was a bit annoyed. Minato's answers were usually straightforward despite their brevity, so his evasiveness now was a bit concerning. He was fairly certain Minato knew what it was, but simply wasn't saying.

Admittedly, asking an indicator of his possible insanity about… an indicator of his possible insanity… was not the best idea.

But even though the possibility that he was no longer sane existed, he had a certain determination in the _fact_ that Minato existed.

So what did Minato's acknowledgement of the flame say about its origins?

Akira didn't know.

He didn't know a thing.

Sigh. All he wanted was to spend a year in probation under the radar.

This was going to be a long year.

* * *

**And here's chapter 2. I may or may not keep working on this depending on how well it's received. But I do have tons of ideas for how to progress! Sorry if the characters are OOC. I'm not really much of a writer, and this was just for fun to see where the idea would go.**

**Just so you know, updates are going to be pretty sporadic after this. Schoolwork will always be a priority, after all.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 1--

**So people were asking what happened with Aigis and Shinjiro, because both were just as much a part of SEES and Minato should've visited them too. And the simplest answer is...**

**I FORGOT! I'm sorry! I did have some plans for Aigis but in my excitement to post I didn't really read it over and it slipped my mind that I forgot to include Aigis. More notes at the end, since this is short.**

* * *

Aigis was last. She was the person to see him off, so he wanted to save her for last. He found her working on some paperwork and almost laughed at the irony. An Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon sitting at a desk working on paper for the Shadow Operatives.

He looked at her, wistful. She looked exactly like she had 7 years ago, 17 years ago. But there was light in her eyes. A small smile adorned her face. She looked _alive._

She was.

And Minato found himself recollecting that day, that he had fallen asleep peacefully on her lap, seen off by the joyful voices of his friends.

He wanted to be with her.

He was so angry with himself.

She had found her purpose, declared it to be staying by his side, knowing he would die. He could tell, even with how woozy his mind had felt that day, the hesitant way she forced the words out, the sorrow in her voice and expression.

He had crushed her. He had kept his promise to her and SEES, and seen the blossoms, and then promptly made it impossible to fulfill her promise.

He could only hope that she had found closure in knowing his fate.

And if her smile was anything to go by, she had.

Minato found himself itching to hug her, touch her, tell her he was alright.

But as he could do none of these things, he settled for watching her contentedly from the back of the room.

She would feel him, as the others had.

He knew she would.

This was not a hello. This was a goodbye.

With a heavier heart than before, he finally left the room with Elizabeth.

* * *

Aigis could feel it when Orpheus disappeared from her mind.

Since her joruney with SEES into the Abyss of Time and the Sea of Souls, she found the Persona to be a nice companion of sorts. She couldn't talk to the metallic humanoid, but he provided an anchor for her mind, a comfort that she thought she would never have again after March 5th of 2009.

She looked wistfully into the starry sky outside her window. It was the closest representation on Earth of the Sea of Souls, though it would never hold the same mystic beauty and otherworldly grandeur. Had Orpheus gone back to his rightful owner? She hoped so. The Universe, the one she must absolutely stay by, was probably lonely at the Gate.

Orpheus had served her well, and she had no use for him anymore. He deserved to return to the man he was originally one with.

Though the conforting presence of her mind was gone, she had more than enough support now, in the form of the former SEES members and new recruits into the Shadow Operatives. She was happy.

She hoped he was too.

Though the comforting presence of her mind had left her, it hadn't left completely, and Aigis found herself once again on the roof, with the comforting winds carrying the scattering pale blossoms.

Just like that day, when he fell into eternal sleep on her laps. Just like that day, when his presence, she could tell, struggled to stay atteched to the world.

Just like that day, when fulfilled, it fluttered off, as if carried by the soft spring wind, just like the light blossoms.

The presence faded.

_Thank you. Goodbye,_ she thought she heard for a moment. It was a soft whisper, a gentle sound that caressed her ears, familiar and light.

She smiled.

She hoped this would reach him.

_You're welcome._

* * *

**I am really not the best at writing and am doing this for fun mostly, so please don't flame! I tried my best.**

**I feel like Aigis' relationship with Minato is closer than most of SEES, so I'm really sorry that I left her out of the first chapter. I wold've edited to include her, but with what I wanted to see between Minato and Aigis, I feel like his realization would've been dampened a bit because he would've already been sad here. **

**And also, on the topic of Shinji,**

**I would've added him too, but tbh, I don't think Minato would know he is. Shinji helped him out in his fight against Nyx, and so I assume by now that Shinji's soul would've been in the Sea of Souls. I like to think that Minato may have spoken to him once or twice, but at the same time, the Sea of Souls is probably large to no bounds, so I think it would've been hard to find Shinji there. Minato probably knows this. He's been in the Sea for 7 years, I'd think he'd know a thing or two about it, if not from Elizabeth explaining with nothing better to talk about. I bet the door is easy enough to find for an attendant like Elizabeth, but a sea has currents, and Shinjiro's soul is probably carried by those currents.**

**It wouldn't be easy to find Shinji, let alone visit and speak with him. Though, yes, I love the ironic image of him, as a ghost, asking another ghost to rest in peace. That would be great.**

**I would also love the idea of him accomanying Minato along in the journey as a ghost, but the way I see it, the reason there aren't many ghosts is because the souls fade from the material world soon after death when they don't have a physical medium to attach to, which before their death, was their body pretty much. It's just my own speculation though (in a world that I'm trying to build so I really should've thought through all this before, whoops.)**

**Yes, I probably should've had Minato visit the grave at least though, so I'm still sorry.**

**When it comes down to it, these are more excuses than anything. I forgot in the first place. :P**

**Thanks for all the support I've gotten though! It always warms my heart to read positive reviews. (^^) I'll try my best to continue this! 3rd chapter is in the works.**


	4. Chapter 3

Akira found that he didn't like Sojiro.

The first thing the man had done when he had entered was brush him off, having forgotten that he was coming today.

Then, as Sojiro proceeded to grumble, he made light of the situation and told him he shouldn't have interfered with adult matters. Given, it was because of that that he was here, in this situation that neither of them seemed to want, but that only meant that Sojiro was just another one.

Another person who saw not the person he was, but the criminal he wasn't.

But it wasn't in his place to complain. Even given a storage space as his room and treated as an idiotic teenager, he wasn't about to get himself in trouble and sent back to the juvenile detention center again.

He felt so frustrated. It was all he could do to keep his head down and mutter the "it's big," about his room, in place of the "it's messy" he so desperately wanted to snark back.

He didn't even register the faint surprise from Minato while Sojiro was speaking. Sojiro strode back down the stairs to the café while he got up and about, cleaning up the hellhole of a living space the attic was.

Hey, if he was going to be living in a hellhole, he'd at least make it comfortable.

It was a small pleasure to clean anyways. Hard work always felt so gratifying afterwards, when one stepped back to look at the result. He smiled at the thought.

And then frowned as he felt the slight disapproval from the spirit's end.

Oh, right. Minato was still there.

Oh well. There wasn't much better to do now anyways. Normally he'd be running through his thoughts while doing something as mentally mundane as cleaning, but that was about the same as speaking anyways, since Minato could hear his thoughts.

_Not a fan of hard work?_

_"No.__"_

God. Akira was going to go crazy with all these one-word answers one day. How did this person ever hold conversations when he was alive?

_"… Sorry."_

Startled, Akira's breath caught for a bit as his face flushed. He didn't mean to insult Minato, but he forgot that Minato could hear into his thoughts. He'd need to be more reserved with his thoughts from now on, he supposed.

_"Don't hold back on my account. I'm used to it."_

Akira frowned.

_What do you mean you're used to it?_

_"I've been a quiet child just about forever. Old habits die hard."_

Akira didn't like the thought that this person may not have had many friends in his life, but held back the thought as he pondered over the words again.

_I think that's the most you've said in one line so far._

A huff came from his companion. Akira smiled. As odd as Minato was, his silence paired with the emotions Akira could feel endeared him. The amusement was stronger than the indignation, Akira could tell.

And he once again mulled through the words. Something was amiss.

Old habits _die_ hard.

Did he just make a frickin' _pun?_

Akira couldn't help the snicker that escaped his lips. Awfully morbid pun, but a good one nonetheless. He could feel the amusement bubbling up in Minato's ocean of emotion (or apathy) as the two of them continued conversing, Akira asking mindless questions and Minato answering in brief responses.

* * *

Sojiro couldn't for the life of him fathom why the boy upstairs was snickering. Was something happening? Was he ruining his attic? This spelled trouble, and the shop-owner wanted no trouble. As kind of a soul as he was, the boy had better understand that if he so much as messed with a single thing in the restaurant, he was _out._

As he apprehensively climbed the stairs and peeked over the wooden railing, he found the boy humming to himself while arranging the boxes.

Huh.

Was he actually cleaning?

Sojiro was not expecting that.

Nor was he expecting the boy to have a small, genuine smile on his face. It was so different from how the boy was just an hour earlier, with the cloud of gloom overhanging and an air of depressed complacence.

His eyes softened a little. Perhaps he had been too harsh on the boy earlier. He seemed decent, those glasses giving him a certain innocent quality about his face. His eyes held no malice, his smile held no mischief.

And yet, just an hour earlier he looked like a kicked puppy.

Sojiro sighed. He'd ask just in case.

"Hey, kid."

The boy's head abruptly turned in surprise and unconsciously, his body, crouched to fit a box into a shelf, unconsciously curled inwards. His smile fell into something more alarmed, and Sojiro felt horrible. But he'd have to keep up the stern façade, or worse may happen. The attitude of a kid he barely knew didn't matter compared to the living he had to earn for both him and Futaba.

He still sighed, for good measure.

"What were you snickering about over there?"

"Nothing, Sakura-san. Just an old joke I remembered." The words sounded level, with practiced calm. They held a tinge of shame and worry though, and Sojiro would've winced. Maybe he was taking it too seriously if the kid had started thinking smiling and laughing was now a crime also.

Sojiro raised an eyebrow, and quietly made his way back downstairs.

* * *

Akira sighed in relief when Sojiro finally left. "Man, I really cannot get a break."

_"Don't envy you," _Minato said. Akira could almost envision the indifferent shrug from the teenager, if it weren't for his inability to see the ghost. An awkward lull in the conversation followed as Akira busied himself dusting off the rackety old desk.

Then, Minato spoke again, hesitantly. _"When I… moved, it was more normal. There was a girl with a gun though."_

Akira rose an eyebrow, though whether in amusement or just surprise, he himself didn't know. Minato rarely initiated conversation, though that was… awfully interesting. _What ended up happening?_ Akira found himself inquiring.

There was a comforting wave of nostalgia over their emotional link, as Akira now dubbed it, and Minato continued. _"I asked why she had it… and she answered that it was a hobby."_

The teen smiled. _A hobby? _That piqued his curiosity.

"_It did turn out that she was lying, but I found out what it was for that same night."_

A shiver ran up Akira's spine as more emotions flowed forth. There was the nostalgia, but it was amongst a flood of sorrow and slight fear. All were dubious, and Akira's mind tried grasped for more information. _What happened?_

A bit of sadism. _"Hmmm… story for another time, I suppose. You wouldn't believe me now."_

Akira certainly did not pout. He knew Minato was toying with him. That was just unfair. It wasn't like he could listen in on Minato's thoughts, like Minato did to him. He wanted to know.

There was a tinge of something apologetic, but Akira tried to ignore it. _"Really though. You wouldn't believe me."_

What made Akira stop questioning was the biggest wave of sorrow he had felt since coming in contact with the ghost. He knew Minato had some tragic past, but it wasn't in his right to push it right now, he realized. This was a sensitive topic… and Minato should have the right to reveal it when he wanted. He was no less human.

Akira sighed. _I'm sorry,_ he mentally mumbled back. The whispered _"it's fine,"_ that he received in return told him with an air of quiet finality that their conversation was over for now.

In several hours, Akira had finally succeeded in making the dusty attic into something reminiscent of a living space. It was actually a lot more spacious now that he had de-cluttered and shoved the boxes onto the shelf at the side. His bed on the corner had a ratty old futon as a mattress… but he supposed it would suffice for now. It wasn't like a _criminal _like himself could expect high class living quarters on probation anyways.

On the side, he heard some faint breathing noises, slow and steady, but again reverberating as if echoing through his mind. That was his sign that the noise came from Minato. He sighed. Was that why the link seemed to be dormant for the past few hours? His ghostly companion was sleeping?

Well, his time, his (after)life. It was probably late enough for him to get some shut-eye too, anyways.

Below him, through the dark wooden floor, the sound of a phone could be heard. Akira cautiously stepped downstairs, arms tucked against himself as if touching even a single speck of dust would make the whole place explode.

Hey, better safe than sorry. He looked over to the gaudy vibrating yellow phone. Apprehensively, he picked it up.

It was just Sojiro. He didn't know whether to be relived or not, but quickly completing the task he had been given, he ambled back up the stairs and took his place on the bed in the corner.

The steady breathing continued, slightly ominously. Akira felt like there was another person there, continuously watching him, even though he couldn't see them. Oh right. That was just a summary of exactly what was happening right now.

He took a moment to ponder how surreal all of it was. Just a month or two ago he had been a normal student, with average grades, doing average things. Sure, maybe he was a bit righteous, but it wasn't what people would call a defining trait on him.

And in such a short time, he'd been spirited away to a new place, a new _scary _place, might he add, living with a stranger, and having a ghost tail him.

It sounded like a crappy story where the author liked beating _him_ up the most. He hated it.

The black haired teen was drawn out of his musings when the phone in his hand vibrated again. As he looked at the screen, he was vaguely aware that Minato had awakened abruptly, but ignored the fact in favor of staring at the creepy red eye icon.

He thought he deleted that. Maybe the phone was malfunctioning, he thought as he dragged it back to the trash icon again.

He could feel Minato's odd alertness through their emotional link, but he was too tired to think about it now.

Closing his eyes, he tried to empty his mind again. The next day would be better. Yeah, he'd just keep telling himself that, and maybe one day it would come true. The next day would be better.

"Good night," he whispered to no one in particular.

He barely registered a quiet hum of acknowledgement from Minato before he sank into the world of unconsciousness.

* * *

Or so he would've liked. God, as if he hadn't had enough. Creepy long-nosed old man and loli wardens. God, why couldn't he just be left in peace?!

* * *

Minato almost laughed at the other teen's fascination and confusion. No doubt he had entered the Velvet Room for the first time. His amusement took a more somber note when he remembered Igor's situation though. He sighed.

This mindset was more Akira's, though Minato started picking it up slightly. _This is going to be a long year._

* * *

Akira woke up that morning, refreshed(?). He didn't know what the dream was about, but it was just a dream, and that was that, and he would go to school and get out of school like a normal child, just like he was.

He definitely didn't see the new shiny blue key on his keychain. Nope. Must've been a trick of the light, he decided, stuffing it into his blue bookbag.

He looked around the room, seeing if there was anything he was missing. He had his journals, his textbooks... and his own stamp of approval for the school day.

Alright. He was about ready now. Just one more thing.

He turned to where he knew the steady breathing of his ghostly companion came from. _If at all possible, please do not talk to me while I'm at school._

Minato was silent for a moment, before muttering a short assent. Akira winced a bit. No doubt he had tried to nod again. Being dead didn't sound fun.

His bookbag slung on his shoulder, and his uniform buttoned and clean, he stepped downstairs to the unfamiliar smell of coffee awaiting him. Sojiro stood at the counter, behind a plate of curry and a mug of coffee.

Akira glanced at it dubiously on his way to the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" called out Sojiro's gruff voice, stopping Akira in his tracks. "Get back here and have breakfast."

The teenager meekly turned around, pointing to himself, as if asking, _me?_

Sojiro rolled his eyes. Akira felt a slight pang of betrayal when he heard Minato snickering from beside him. The black-haired teen went back to the counter and took a seat in front of the… odd breakfast.

It turned out delicious. He gave a coy side-eye to where he could feel the slight jealousy of Minato. Take that.

After all was said and done, with a few more warnings from Sojiro for good measure (I better not be getting a call from the school!) he rushed out the door, running to the nearby subway station.

He was glad he had gotten all the documents sorted and settled before he came. He didn't think he'd be able to stand going in to the school on his own to meet the teachers. At least if it was with other students, other average Japanese teenagers, he'd be just another head in the crowd, if only for a bit.

He was making good time to the school for a while.

Until he wasn't. Damn rain. God dang it.

He stopped underneath a shop a few blocks from the school, hoping none of his books got too wet before he stopped. He would hate to have to go back to Sojiro saying he couldn't turn anything in because all of his paper wasn't fit to write one.

So much for a good first day. God, please don't let him be late on top of everything else.

As he looked disdainfully at the droplets of water falling from the sky, a blob of white and black ran next to him, probably also taking cover from the rain.

She was stunning, with luscious tails of long platinum-blonde hair, a rare sight in Japan. Her ice-blue eyes as well, though they looked more dejected than anything.

She gave Akira a sad smile, seeing as they were in the same predicament. Akira smiled back.

He would've asked her name, had it not been for the man in the car that drove by at that moment. The girl got on, and the two drove to school, but she didn't look happy.

_"Probably because she wasn't,"_ Minato chimed in from his side. Akira jumped. He forgot Minato was still with him. _How could you tell?_ he questioned.

_"Hmmm… You just… can, I guess. Her facial expression and body language."_

Akira mentally opened his mouth to retort, but stopped, hearing the pit-pattering of running strides towards his location. He turned to his right to see… a really loudly dressed, blond-haired student.

"Damn it! Screw that pervy teacher," the blond gritted out. _I see_, Akira mused. _His loudness in clothing also translates to loudness in voice._

Minato snickered at that.

What followed was a sort of one-sided… _enlightening_ introduction to one of the school staff. Akira didn't know what was worse, his tardiness on the first day, or the apparent fact that there was a pervert as a gym teacher.

Oh yeah, he knew the answer to that. Neither. It was the sudden headache he got a few minutes into the blond boy's rant.

The tingly feeling that shot through his body when that happened was mildly creepy. So was the fact that the blond boy had also gotten a headache at the same time.

What made Akira _most_ wary, however, was the sudden alarm coming from the other side of his emotional link. There was surprise among familiarity, calm among alertness. They contradicted, but Akira could figure that something was wrong, for sure.

_Minato? You there?_ Akira thought tentatively.

There was a small serious hum of acknowledgement. _"This is different… Stay on guard."_

Akira didn't know what Minato meant by _this _or _different_, but heck if he was going to stay long enough to find out.

"…o… Yo!" Akira finally registered that the blond beside him had been shouting in his ear. "Sorry," the teen mumbled. "Got lost in thought." Wasn't that much of a lie if he was holding a conversation by thought.

"Yea yea, got it, dreamer boy. Let's get to school, we're gonna be late." The blond grinned, seeming unfazed by the _wrongness_ in the air. "I know a shortcut! Follow me."

Akira apprehensively stepped through the alleyway behind the boy. And eventually reached a castle.

Well shit.

He was so done. Could this year get any weirder?

* * *

Minato would have found the panic of the Wild Card absolutely hilarious if it weren't for how many unknown variables there were at the moment. The instant he'd felt the tingle through his body, he knew.

This was the new equivalent of the dark hour. It might not have seemed so yet, with no visible change to the surroundings, but he could feel the churning Sea of Souls closer than ever since he'd come back to the living world.

He had half a mind check using his evoker, but he didn't want to frighten the Wild Card until he'd gotten his own Persona.

Either way, he knew the feeling of wrongness in the air that came with being close to the Sea of Souls could and would get stronger. It seemed the center of the… distortion(?) was somewhere closer to the school. That was foreboding.

He hoped it wasn't another Kirijo Group situation. That had caused more distress than it was worth.

Either way, he remained alert and followed behind as Akira got closer and closer to the school.

Scratch that. It was apparently now a castle.

Minato furrowed his brows. This was too close to Tartarus for his liking, but seemed a lot more isolated. It wasn't a time thing like the Dark Hour had been… what was this new phenomenon?

He distinctly remembered the phone app giving him an odd feeling. He could explore that later. For now, he hesitantly floated behind as Akira made his way into the castle alongside the blond. He hoped things wouldn't turn any worse.

Who was he kidding? Wild Cards had terrible luck.

This was confirmed when Minato felt the dizziness that made his head spin. The dormant emotional link probably meant Akira was unconscious. He floated behind the boy being taken to a cell, unsure whether or not to step in.

Minato didn't really want to, if he was being honest. It was the Wild Card's battle and not his own. It was through hardship that the Persona was inevitably awakened. He couldn't very well let the boy die though.

He withdrew the evoker from the holster on his hip, relishing in the comforting cool weight of the gun in his hands. Minato fell easily into a stance he hadn't done for years.

Evoker at the ready, he followed behind.

* * *

Man, the natural awakening of his Persona looked a lot more painful than Minato remembered it. Minato was quite glad that he hadn't needed to pull off half his face when he awakened Orpheus, though if he was being fair, the mental stress of his own awakening was no less painful.

He could still remember that day as if it had been yesterday. With some amount of fascination and pride, he watched as the azure flames swallowed the teenager, and congregated into a sinister looking demonic form behind the black-haired teenager.

_Arsène._

Good thing he hadn't stepped in, though he was about to. But also, dang, that costume looked badass. Not that Minato wanted one like it, though. He very much enjoyed his modest school uniform, thank you very much.

* * *

Akira felt so powerful. The new ability, the new comfort that flowed through his veins, somehow told him that this was his territory. It instilled him with confidence he knew wasn't his.

He couldn't care less. It felt euphoric, those blue flames licking at his face, where a mask had made itself present. They were refreshing, cool. He felt like nothing could stop him now.

Vaguely, he noted that the flames seemed to be the same from that plaza when he'd arrived the day before. Minato's familiarity and nostalgia with them brushed his mind, but he passed it in favor of pondering the current circumstances.

He was in a castle.

Probably not of his own world, hard as it was to believe.

Other people were being tortured in here.

He needed to leave. He and Sakamoto both.

Oh shit, he was late.

Also, he noted that Minato had been awfully silent the whole time, despite having a constant air of familiarity and confidence. _Are you there? _Akira thought.

Minato gave one of his trademark hums. _"I don't know the way out."_

_Alright. Tell me if you notice anything, please?_

The silence in response was confirmation enough, as he and Sakamoto plowed their way through the castle.

* * *

The… not-cat-thingy was awfully loud, Akira noted. And arrogant. Morgana, it was called.

Without much griping, Akira already knew he'd let the not-cat out, despite Sakamoto's protests. It wasn't going to do any harm to have an extra ally after all.

Morgana nya'd in triumph when he finally got out of the cage. "Finally! You have some potential!" Akira felt some small pride when the cat gestured to him. Morgana then turned to the blond. "You, not so much."

He could hear the small breath of faint amusement from his side, and recalled again that Minato was by his side. At that sound though, Morgana's head snapped towards him in a look of astonishment and fear.

As if he'd seen a ghost.

"Akira, who's next to you?" Morgana appeared entranced, bulbous blue eyes staring at the space to his left. It was a bit offputting, knowing there was nothing there to be seen, Akira thought.

"What do you mean?" Akira knew Minato was next to him, but Morgana couldn't see him… right?

_"Denial unnecessary. He can see me," _Minato replied from next to him.

His head snapped towards the right, where Minato's voice echoed from as well. "What?! He can see you?" He forgot to think it.

Sakamoto's eyebrows were furrowed in clear confusion. "What? Who? I don't see anythin'?"

* * *

Minato looked at the creature with some trepidation. Those eyes were… too similar to Ryoji's, Pharos's, for his liking. He was sure Morgana was otherworldly by some right, by the rings in the piercing blue orbs.

Well. He should at least be civil, even if he was a ghost.

_"Arisato Minato. Nice to meet you."_

Morgana's face scrunched up into one of abject confusion. "Nice to… meet you too? … Pardon my asking, but what exactly are you?"

Minato shrugged. _"A ghost, you could say. You?"_

A flash of hurt went through the creature's eyes, though he answered. "I'm not exactly sure myself. I know I'm human, but I have amnesia, so…"

Minato almost gave a look of incredulity at the suggestion that Morgana was human. Maybe he'd have a human form. But no. No way was he human, not with those eyes.

There was an awkward lull in the conversation. Minato didn't feel like saying anything, while Morgana scrutinized the blue-haired teenager's spectral form.

_"You should probably continue finding an exit," _Minato finally suggested. Morgana snapped out of his reverie.

"Ah, yea…" he said, looking back towards the two living high school students. His eyes gained back their confident glint. "Follow me!"

* * *

Through the entire time, Morgana, while keeping the role of a guide, couldn't help but think about the ghost — Minato, he said his name was.

He also couldn't help but feel oddly uncomfortable in his presence. It wasn't anything visible; to the best of his knowledge, the boy looked like any other high school student, if his pristine uniform was any indication.

Of course, the gun was… questionable. But not the weirdest thing Morgana had seen before. Maybe it was for self defense?

He didn't know that he was right in that line of thinking, just in the wrong way.

Anyways, besides maybe looking more emo than the average teenager, Minato gave an air of… insignificance, one could say.

In appearance only.

Truly, despite how he looked, Morgana could feel nothing when observing Minato besides the tugging feeling on his pit that there was something greater inside him. And that the _something_ was not good.

It felt too close to a Shadow. But not quite. It wasn't a Shadow; it wasn't the culmination of negativity that Morgana knew so well.

But it was something similar, and Morgana didn't like it.

Regardless, there wasn't really much that he could do, probably, seeing as Minato was a ghost. Perhaps his cognition was there, since he was definitely present, but unless he had a Persona, he couldn't physically interact with anything anyways.

Common perception of ghosts after all said that they weren't corporeal.

With that in mind, Morgana stopped his fretting over this issue in favor of leading the new Persona-user and his idiotic friend out.

* * *

When they had finally found their way out of the torturous palace, both Akira and Ryuji had to take a moment to process just what the hell had just happened.

If what Morgana said was to be believed, then the school (which Akira was late to now, on his first day no less) had some bigger problems than they could deal with.

Ryuji, next to the very-done and annoyed black-haired teenager, was frantically speaking, "Dude! We have to go back! We can't just leave it be!"

And quite frankly, Akira agreed. He was no hero, but he was a more righteous person than most.

And Arsene was right.

He hadn't made a mistake. That night, that fateful moment, if he could've chosen again, he would have done the same thing. If his "rebellious spirit" as Morgana had called it was the origin of his Persona, then he'd go with it all the way.

He almost forgot in the middle of his mental tirade that Minato could listen to his every thought, but he still felt that niggling at the back of his mind as usual, indicating the ghost's presence… and it seemed he wanted to say something.

_Anything to add? _he thought.

A low reverberating hum of contemplation permeated the air.

_"Lucky."_

Akira had to narrow his eyes in frustration at his ghost friend. What part of getting stuck in a castle for the better part of a morning and then ripping off the top half of his face sounded _lucky?_

_"When I awakened mine… I shot myself in the head."_

…

What?

Akira massaged his temples.

_I hope you know you're crazy, and we're definitely talking about this later._

As he turned to see two policeman, likely there to question why two Shujin Academy students were still on the streets in the middle of the day, he sighed.

_"No objections," _Minato added. Akira could hear the half-hearted shrug in his voice.

* * *

**Hey! I'm not dead! Yay!**

**Sorry about leaving for so long. I had this in the works when I posted the last chapter but a plethora of things including but not limited to homework, my lack of inspiration/motivation to continue, and tests.**

**So I hope you enjoyed this chapter? I definitely plan on continuing this, I had like a good bank of ideas on this that I ended up digging up somehow...**

**Anyways, best way to keep me motivated is to leave a fav, follow, or review, so I know that you care. Thanks for reading!**


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